The next few years on planet Earth will be some of the toughest ones yet. The people we choose to form government will have world-altering decisions to make, including supporting the oil and gas industry, investing in renewable energy, upholding Indigenous rights, and much more.

These issues can feel intangible. But for people in communities on the front lines of fossil fuel extraction, the stakes are very real.

As I type this, the owners of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline are attempting to complete “substantial” construction in northern B.C. as a way to extend their soon-to-expire environmental assessment certificate indefinitely.

One of the first decisions on B.C.’s next environment minister’s desk will be whether to green-light this project, or – because its approvals are a decade old – put it through a new environmental process that will consider more of the project’s true effects on the land and water.

If they don’t, salmon, clean water and ways of life are at risk. Communities will be even further divided. And all of us will face increased floods, wildfires and droughts, courtesy of the pollution unleashed by another fracked gas pipeline the size of Coastal GasLink.

Just like how our reality today was created by the political decision-making of the past (by parties of all stripes), our future is now wrapped up in how well we can force the next set of decision makers to take climate change seriously, address affordability and look out for communities instead of corporate profits.

So despite how many times we’ve been disappointed by the people supposed to represent us in Victoria, this election — like all those that have come before it — matters. The actions and choices we make on October 19 are for us, our kids and our grandkids.

A non-partisan hot take on the most talked about political parties in B.C.

Dogwood has participated in elections for 20+ years, but our approach to election work has changed over time. A core element has always been to put the focus on the issues we care about most, and push candidates and parties to articulate clear positions on oil and gas, among other things.

We also do basic voter and candidate information sharing, communicating with our supporters about where to vote on what days, which candidates are running in each riding and where they stand on Dogwood-y issues, like oil tankers and expanding fossil fuel production.

So what’s the scoop on parties this time around? Here are our “hot takes” so far:

David Eby says he’s different from Conservative leader John Rustad on climate because he actually believes it’s real and human-caused. But when it comes to the most important kinds of climate action, like cancelling gas pipeline permits and phasing out fossil fuels, he’s (sadly) not that different.

Eby’s time in office has included expanding fracking, green-lighting LNG export terminals and presiding over the completion of Coastal GasLink, just to name a few.

The NDP are neck and neck with the BC Conservatives in the polls. That seems to be making them desperate to appeal to voters siding with Conservative messaging, shifting from “We can’t keep approving new fossil fuels and meet our climate targets” to Eby’s recent statement about ensuring oil and gas producers can grow their business as long as the pollution “doesn’t end up on B.C.’s books.”

The NDP’s switcheroo on the carbon tax is a painfully transparent example of letting right wing rhetoric set policy.

There’s only one party that is actually committed to phasing out fossil fuel infrastructure and saying no to PRGT, and that’s the BC Greens. But polls suggest they’ll be lucky if they secure more than a seat or two in the Legislature.

In years when climate change has been a top concern for British Columbians, the Greens have not been able to capitalize on that. Why? Maybe it’s our First Past the Post system, or a lack of funding. Whatever the problem, it’s frustrating to see the noisy bickering of the two other parties drown out good policy ideas from the Greens, which could actually slow the climate crisis and help a lot of people.

The BC Conservatives are going for the populist vibe, a la America. They want all the pipelines and clearcutting they can get. They say they’re for personal freedoms, but not really, because they don’t want people to have freedom of gender or to read books about climate change.

Their party candidates are mostly climate ignorant or deniers, or both. Among other regressive policy plans, Rustad says he’ll cancel electric vehicle and heat pump programs (even though B.C. is about to get huge investments into solar and wind). He seems to get pleasure out of saying “F you” to voters who care about climate. It’s divisive and unproductive.

Speaking of ‘F you’… Rustad took to shit-stirrer Jordan Peterson’s podcast to call out “too many politicians…who chase where they think the vote is as opposed to standing on the principles.” Yeah John, let’s talk about principles. As a BC Liberal, Rustad strongly advocated for and voted yes to B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in 2019. Now, he’s fear-mongering around Indigenous land rights to get votes. He’s also pandering to anti-vaxxers and SOGI bigots, something he hadn’t stooped to until now.

Rustad is whipping up division, capitalizing on anger and seeding mistrust. And it only takes a quick look at the state America is in to see where that train will take us.

If the NDP wanted to gain more ground, they could have created a real progressive agenda that put working people first and addressed the overarching issues making life hard and scary for people right now. But they would have had to stand up to big oil and gas, and other corporate lobbyists in their ear every day. And they’re too scared or uninspired to do that. Most parties are.

Non partisan, but definitely political

‘Tis the season for Dogwood to get a lot of e-mails asking why we’re not supporting one party more, or why we’re “supporting” another party too much.

Dogwood is very political, which can sometimes be confused with being partisan. As a staff, we talk extensively about where to draw that line and why. It’s understandable some folks could want their political party or candidate to win over all else, but we’re committed to our supporters, allies and values instead.

We believe in the power of organized people. We do not put our faith in any one party or candidate to do the “right” thing by us, and while it’s been hard at times not to jump onto a bandwagon or two for some really promising-looking folks, we’ve never regretted our decision to stay non-partisan after all is said and done.

Politicians and political parties are fickle, they’re inevitably focused on re-election, and in B.C., they’re also tightly whipped, which means MLAs don’t really have the freedom to speak up or act against their own party’s platform or values. That makes it hard to have honest conversations with politicians, and to hold them accountable to their promises.

But most of the problems that need to be solved, like stopping fossil fuel expansion, are dealt with in the halls of the Legislature or the courts. So we won’t stop pushing. We’re proponents of speaking truth to power, the truth being that we need stronger leadership and better policies to protect communities from climate and social collapse.

And while you won’t hear us tell you who to vote for, we do want to share a few things we believe matter at election time.

For your consideration

Inform yourself and share what you know. Find out who’s running in your area, what they stand for, and who they are as a person. E-mail them, go to an all-candidates’ meeting, look them up in your local news outlet. Are they saying anything other than the party line? What does their past experience say about their loyalties or how they might conduct themselves in office?

If you’re thinking about voting for one party just to stop another, do your homework. Look at past outcomes in your riding, and take polls with a grain of salt. ‘Strategic voting’ isn’t a province-wide strategy, and makes sense in fewer ridings than you might think.

Talk to your friends and family. One candidate recently reported that 50-60 per cent of the doors he knocked on didn’t know there was an election happening in B.C., and ‘one person said she was definitely voting for Kamala’.

Joking aside, it’s been widely acknowledged that the BC Conservatives’ meteoric rise is on the coattails of Pierre Poilievre, and there are a lot of folks who aren’t tracking the federal/provincial distinction. They’re sick of Trudeau, they want change, and they’re voting for the new guy.

Many of us are finding that familiar patterns aren’t holding up this election, and people we didn’t expect are planning to vote in new ways. So check in with the people around you, and have those taboo political conversations around the Thanksgiving dinner table. But remember the best way to change someone’s mind is not to argue, but rather listen and have a conversation.

Put candidates on the spot! As part of Frack Free BC, we have teams of volunteers taking action in ridings around the province, showing up at campaign events to make candidates answer tough questions about fracking and LNG.

We’re pushing climate into the election conversation, forcing candidates to go beyond their party talking points to reveal what makes them different from one another, and turning up the heat on this issue to give whoever ends up in Victoria the strongest possible mandate for action. Learn more and join in on the effort here.

Vote! Whether you see it as a hard-won privilege, a blunt instrument, harm reduction or somewhere in between, if you’ve got the right to vote in B.C., get to the polls by October 19 (or before on Advance Voting days, which start on October 10th). Here’s everything you need to know about when, where and how to vote.

General election info
Where
When: Advance voting dates and places 
General election is Saturday, October 19
Names of all candidates
Register in person at any voting place with a government issued photo ID and proof of address

At the end of the day, we know politics is about more than elections, and power is built and wielded in so many ways beyond the walls of the voting booth or the colonial Legislature. In corporate boardrooms and at lobbyist luncheons, yes… but also on the streets and on the land, at kitchen tables and community centres, on the frontlines and in traditional feast halls.

The people we can count on most are standing right next to us.

Whatever happens on election night, Dogwood supporters, staff and volunteers will continue to fight for better from whoever is in power, organize communities to build power beyond the ballot box and stand in solidarity with the people facing the harshest consequences of the colonial resource agenda.